For the sauce

Compare prices

Tip

Making tempura batter

Mix this just as you are about to cook. Sift 85g/3oz plain flour and 1 tbsp cornflour with ½ tsp fine sea salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in 200ml/7fl oz ice-cold sparkling mineral water along with a few ice cubes using a whisk, but don’t over beat. It doesn’t matter about a few lumps. Use immediately.

Tip

Keeping it crisp

The secret is: don’t over-mix it, or let it stand; keep the batter ice-cold and the oil hot; and don’t fry too many pieces at once as this will reduce the temperature of the oil.

Method

Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Make the batter (see right). Cover a baking tray with sheets of kitchen paper. Start to heat a deep-fat frying pan or large wok a third full of oil and have the frying basket, or slotted spoon to hand

When the oil reaches 190C dip some of the prepared veg briefly into the batter, shake off any excess, then lower straight into the hot oil. Don’t crowd the frying basket. Fry for about 2 mins until light golden and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper.

Repeat with the remaining vegetables in batches, dipping into the batter just before you fry them and remember to let the oil heat back up to temperature between each batch. Keep the tempura warm in the oven, leaving the door slightly ajar so that they stay crisp. They are best served immediately on a warm plate with the sauce alongside for dipping.

Ads by Google

Comments, questions and tips

Comments

Went down very well in our house last night. We used asparagus, peppers, baby corn, broccoli and prawns. The prawns were Gorgeous. Used sweet chilli dipping sauce instead. Will definitely be making again.

Great recipe. Really easy and impressive as a dinner party starter. Don't be intimidated by the deep frying, it's well worth the effort, but remember don't put too many in at once as you'll bring down the temperature of the oil. Kebabthief, no, no need for egg in japanese tempura, were the vegetables completely dry before sticking them in the batter? SammyDBoo, you can use rice flour instead of cornflour.

Veganonly, yes, simply mix the sauce ingredients together. It's also good if you just use some soy sauce with some wasabi paste mixed up in it. While we were in Japan, one of our friends showed us how he makes his, instead of sparkling water, he uses the cheapest beer he can find, sticks it in the freezer to get as cold as possible before preparing it. He also uses rice flour for the batter which makes it very light and super crispy. We use carrots, a selection of mushrooms, eggplant, zuchinni, sweet potato, potato, broccoli, butternut squash (or any other firm squash), green beans, peppers (both sweet and spicy), celeriac and asparagus and all those work well, but experiment with other veg. It also works great with shrimp/prawns and firm fish for those who do eat them.

Reader Offer: Delicious meals for £9.99

Reader offer: Get a free tastecard for 30 days...

Skills & know how

As well as helping you decide what to cook we can also help you to cook it. From tips on cookery techniques to facts and information about health and nutrition, we’ve a wealth of foodie know how for you to explore.

About BBC Good Food

We’re all about good recipes, and about quality home cooking that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re looking for some healthy inspiration or learning how to cook a decadent dessert, we’ve trustworthy guidance for all your foodie needs.

Our recipes

All our recipes are tested thoroughly by us to make sure they’re suitable for your kitchen at home. We know many of you are concerned about healthy eating, so we send them to a qualified nutritionist for thorough analysis too.

Good Food Apps

This website is made by BBC Worldwide.

BBC Worldwide is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). No money from the licence fee was used to create this website. The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes.